Diversity and Democracy

Produced in partnership between AAC&U and the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (an initiative of Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service), this issue of Diversity & Democracy calls readers to examine how they can best support student and institutional engagement in political life. The issue highlights practices that advance educational goals related to political learning and explores the various roles that students, faculty, and administrators can play in creating a politically engaged and socially just democracy.

Global challenges offer critical opportunities for student learning. This issue highlights the multifaceted ways in which higher education is involving students in addressing the globally complex issues they will encounter throughout their lives. Contributing authors describe possible avenues into this work and raise pressing questions about equity and inclusion in a globally interdependent society.

This issue of Diversity & Democracyextends AAC&U’s longstanding commitment to addressing gender-based inequities in higher education. Article topics include gender equity among STEM students and faculty, women’s leadership in areas such as higher education administration, the role of women’s colleges and universities worldwide, and the importance of creating campuses that are safe and inclusive for students of all gender identities.

This issue of Diversity & Democracy examines the levers for and barriers to faculty and student participation in publicly engaged scholarship and teaching, particularly in the arts, humanities, and design fields. Published in partnership between AAC&U and Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life, the issue showcases best practices for advancing publicly engaged scholarship through classroom and community collaborations, tenure and promotion policies, and higher education leadership.